Teacher Certification Testing
The federal government as well as individual state governments establish qualifications for certifying teachers. Most states require that prospective teachers acquire a bachelor's or master's degree in either a subject content area or in educational psychology. Prospective teachers must also complete state certification programs and testing. Some certification programs are recognized in several states while others are state-specific. Certification tests assess a teacher's content area knowledge as well as her instructional knowledge and capabilities.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
During the first decades of compulsory education in the United States in the 1800s, prospective teachers were required to provide evidence of their moral character to a local school board. Only a few districts required teachers to pass a knowledge test. Pennsylvania was the first state to require all teachers to pass a general knowledge test on reading, writing, and math skills in 1834. Most other states in the union had followed suit by 1867.
Teacher colleges that prepared prospective teachers for the classroom became popular in the late nineteenth century. Dedicated teaching graduate schools emerged in the early part of the twentieth century. Individual states created grade level- and subject-specific teaching exams and granted teachers certificates upon passing. Today, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education oversees state teaching certification programs.
Function
-
Teacher certification tests assess a teacher's general knowledge, subject-specific knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge. Certification tests asses a teacher's reading, writing, and basic math skills. Subject-specific tests assess a prospective teacher's knowledge in his field of study; subject specific tests include math, history, English literature, music, art, and health. Many states require teachers to hold a degree or minor in education or educational psychology; some certification tests include an assessment of a teacher's knowledge about teaching practices, learning styles, and management strategies. Certification tests indicate to a potential employer that a teacher is equipped to deliver knowledge and skills to students.
-
Types
-
There are three main types of teacher certification tests. Many states including California and Massachusetts design their own state-specific test that prospective teachers must pass to teach in that state; in Massachusetts, teachers must pass the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL) while in California teachers must pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). Other states accept the Praxis exam. The Praxis exam is an assessment of pre-professional skills including reading, writing and math. Praxis tests are used by universities to determine which students to admit into teacher educator programs as well as by state education boards to assess a teacher's qualification for licensure. A teacher can also receive a certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The National Board certification is typically not considered as part of a licensure application, but rather an additional credential for experienced teachers.
Features
-
Teacher certification tests generally include a portion of multiple choice questions as well as a section for a writing sample. Writing samples may ask teachers to summarize a passage, provide and support an opinion, recall and assess a text or historical event, or criticize or evaluate a writing sample. Subject specific tests may include additional sections; for instance, many foreign language exams include an oral examination with a test proctor and some English tests include a section where test taker must define grammatical terms. Tests can range from an hour to six hours long.
Considerations
-
Some states will accept the state-specific exam from another state; for instance, many New English states accept Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure scores as a substitute for either the Praxis exam or another state-specific exam. A passing score on a teacher certification test does not mean that a teacher has received a license; states require license application to include several components including certification test scores, college degrees or recommendation letters. Tests must be scheduled in advance and require a fee.
-
References
- Photo Credit chalk board image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
